'not A Shock For Me' - Mvp Targets Edwards To Continue Rise

As nan UFC welterweight section braces for a imaginable shake-up astatine UFC 315 connected Saturday, British contender Michael 'Venom' Page is preparing a complaint of his own.

Following his clinical win complete antecedently undefeated Russian striker Sharabutdin Magomedov successful February, nan 37-year aged Londoner says his performances aren't surprising.

"It's only a daze for everybody other - not a daze for me," Page told BBC Sport.

"I already knew what I was going to do and now it's nan aforesaid thing, rinse and repeat, we spell backmost and get different large win."

Now classed 15th successful nan welterweight division, he will beryllium intimately watching nan weekend's title bout successful Montreal betwixt champion Belal Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena.

A ascendant capacity from either could reshape nan division's future, but Page senses an opportunity of his ain to climb quickly pinch nan correct match-up and, for him, that is chap Briton Leon Edwards.

"I want to conflict Leon, that is nan evident choice," he added.

Edwards suffered his 2nd successive nonaccomplishment against Sean Brady astatine UFC London successful March, but remains 1 of nan apical welterweights.

A triumph complete nan 33-year-old erstwhile champion would catapult Page up nan rankings, arsenic good arsenic supply a tasty home showdown, perchance successful beforehand of a location crowd.

"The hype for it was ever going to beryllium nan case," he said.

"It mightiness not beryllium Leon, but a conflict successful London is going to happen. It conscionable hasn't been timed correct truthful far."

Page said nan accomplishment and expertise of UK fighters has grown successful value and excitement complete nan past decade.

Manchester featherweight Lerone Murphy, 33, is connected way for a title changeable successful nan adjacent 12 months, while 30-year-old Liverpudlian Paddy Pimblett has emerged arsenic 1 of nan stars of nan UFC pinch a seven-fight triumph streak.

"The MMA segment complete present successful nan UK is conscionable exceptional," Page added. "The modular has gone up dramatically complete nan past 5 to 10 years."

With nan welterweight section wide open, Page knows occurrence complete personification for illustration Edwards could cement his position arsenic a genuine contender, particularly arsenic nan awesome triumph complete Magomedov was astatine middleweight.

Yet for each nan hype and momentum, Page - who had his first UFC title successful 2024 against Kevin Holland - remains grounded and nan cardinal to his information was changeless self-reflection and a willingness to adapt.

"It changes each nan time," he added.

"One point that does hap is you request to judge that your ego is going to get knocked, your pridefulness is going to get hit.

"It is tiring to support spinning those plates, those intelligence plates, but it is portion and parcel of it."

Rather than allowing setbacks to spiral, Page is looking for caller ways to situation himself and enactment fresh, moreover if that intends momentarily stepping distant from nan cage.

Down nan years he has competed successful boxing, grappling tournaments and moreover bare knuckle boxing.

"After a reliable fight, I mightiness jump into a jiu-jitsu title aliases do thing that conscionable refreshes nan plate," he revealed.

"When I travel back, I'm eager again. Sometimes you request to return a sidestep distant from what you are passionate about, conscionable to travel backmost stronger.

"But first you person to realise you are successful that place, and past find what is going to motivate you for nan adjacent step."